Not a cakewalk for TMC candidate in Durgapur, but still confident of win
The Statesman | 23 April 2026
It is unlikely to be a cakewalk for Pradip Majumdar in the Durgapur (Purba) Assembly constituency, where he was elected by a narrow margin in 2021.
His candidature, having been ‘planted’ from Kolkata, had earlier triggered an intra-party squabble within the Congress, contributing to his defeat in 2016, when CITU leader Santosh Debroy was elected as MLA. The constituency, incidentally, has a sizeable population of steel plant workers, among whom the CPI-M’s labour wing, CITU, remains the largest trade union.
The consolidated CITU vote appears to have strengthened further this year after the Left Front fielded another CITU leader, Simanta Chatterjee, against minister Majumdar. “We expect a much bigger turnout in our favour this time, as I have received an enthusiastic response from common citizens and steel workers across the segment wherever I have campaigned over the past month,” said Simanta.
The absence of an alliance with the Congress has made the Marxist party keen to draw back its disgruntled Left voters this year, even as the Congress has fielded INTUC leader Debesh Chakraborty from the seat.
This has created what observers describe as a ‘hidden poll arithmetic’, potentially working in Majumdar’s favour. BJP candidate Chandrasekhar Banerjee said: “The CPI-M, for sure, has lost all credibility of winning the seat. A substantial vote in favour of Simanta Chatterjee will ultimately benefit the Trinamul Congress candidate.” He urged voters “not to waste their votes” on the CPI-M, arguing that it would not change the fate of the state or the constituency.
TMC supporters, too, appear keen on a decisive shift to secure Majumdar’s victory.
Meanwhile, Banerjee’s debut as a new face in Durgapur (Purba) has unsettled sections of BJP workers, many of whom have been actively campaigning for Lakshman Ghorui, the party’s candidate in neighbouring Durgapur (Paschim). This has added to the challenges faced by Banerjee in the constituency.
Majumdar had won the seat by a slender margin of just 2,803 votes in 2021. That year, CPI-M’s ‘outsider’ candidate Abhas Roy Chowdhury secured 15.08 per cent of the vote. “That was because Congress voters backed the CPI-M candidate due to the alliance. This year, the polling pattern will certainly be different and more challenging,” said Debesh Chakraborty, the Congress candidate.
While such ‘snake-and-ladder’ political calculations offer no certainty, veteran politician Majumdar has visited multiple localities, placing particular emphasis on the neighbouring Molandighi and Amlajora panchayats, considered crucial to his prospects.
Majumdar said: “I know it will not be easy to secure victory this time, as I have fewer political workers compared to 2021, with many from my constituency engaged in Durgapur (Paschim). Still, I am confident of winning the seat.”